The Crime Writers’ Association

Emerging Author Dagger

Emerging Author Dagger The Emerging Author Dagger (formerly the Debut Dagger) is an international competition, open to anyone in the world writing in English, for a crime novel opening (max. 3,000 words) and synopsis (max. 1,500 words). The crime no...


Bookshop of the Month – December 2021: Griffin Books

Griffin Books in Penarth is one of those shops writers love to be invited to. It’s run by the amazing Mel Griffin who bought the shop nine years ago and turned it into a real community hub – with brilliantly run book events. What inspired you ...


Toni Mount: Author Talk & Book Launch

Join Toni Mount on 1st June at Benson Library, Oxfordshire to launch the new murder mystery The Colour of Lies. Toni will be talking about her writing career, writing non-fiction history books,and medieval murder mysteries, the story so far in the S...


Crime Writers in Residence – at home with Katherine Stansfield

The CRA: Please tell us a little about yourself and the books you write. I’m originally from Cornwall and now live in Cardiff. Cornwall inspires much of my writing – I’m a bit obsessed with its history and folk tales. I write the historical cr...


Celebrate National Crime Reading Month on 8 May with Rachel Abbott and Sharon Bolton

Celebrate National Crime Reading Month with Bolton Central Library and Museum as Bestselling, Award winning crime writers Rachel Abbott and Sharon Bolton will be talking about their exciting new books. Rachel's new book "Come a Little Closer" has be...


Walter Mosley Awarded CWA Diamond Dagger 2023

Walter Mosley is the 2023 recipient of the highest honour in crime writing, the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Diamond Dagger. The CWA Daggers are now regarded by the publishing world as the foremost awards hosted in Britain for crime writing....


Top crime writers support Scotland on Sunday’s libraries campaign

Crime writers owe a lot to libraries. Library staff lend out their books, bringing in welcome payments under the Public Lending Right scheme, host their events and raise their profiles. Writers of all genres have much to be grateful to libraries for....


Dagger for the Best Crime & Mystery Publisher

Dagger for the Best Crime & Mystery Publisher This prestigious Dagger (often referred to as simply the “Publisher’s Dagger”) is awarded annually to the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher of the Year. Publishers and specific imprints are n...


After 20 years, would-be crime novelists find it more rewarding than ever to enter the CWA Debut Dagger Competition

Amended 8.12.17 The CWA Debut Dagger for the opening of a crime novel, established in 1998, is renowned within the crime writing world as a way for unpublished authors to get known, with former winners and shortlisted entrants going on to win publish...


William Shaw: Deadland

William Shaw is one of the great rising talents of UK crime fiction – Peter James Taut, terrifying and timely – Val McDermid, on Salt Lane A modern crime master – Sun Dungeness is a splendid backdrop for a troubled detective – Daily Mail ...


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